Racial Misunderstanding Propagated by Willful Ignorance

I often try to avoid sweeping statements when beginning an opinionated non–fiction piece. Yet, I honestly believe that not a day goes by where we do not consider or come into contact with the issue of race. Race is not something that was resolved during the civil rights moment. It is something that we are reminded of by daily events: the election of Barack Obama, the shooting of Oscar Grant, the everyday interactions we all have with people who hail from different backgrounds than us. All too often, race is the fist thing that comes to mind when people process each other’s differences — the most prevalent and apparent indicator of a reason to consider someone different. Yet, others contend that we have transcended the majority of race–related issues and now live in a “color–blind” society. Yet this is not the case. We need to learn to grow and become cognizant of two things — that people differ in more and deeper ways than just skin color and cultural and ethnic background, and also that in order to truly overcome the roots and symptoms of racism we must be able to not just ignore but acknowledge and appreciate each other’s differences.

No one wants to live in a society ravaged by race–driven strife. Thus, since we now possess integrated schools, parks, restaurants and government, people are often tearing at the bit to declare our society “post–race” or “color blind.” Yet, allowing one’s self to believe that as a society we are “beyond race” is also allowing one’s self to ignore the important factor in people’s lives and backgrounds that race and culture play, and with full volition shutting off a pathway for empathy. While race is not the primary differentiating characteristic among us, differences in race do entail different backgrounds, perspectives, and views on morality and society. The inability to be able to cope with race without ignoring it is indicative of an inability to empathize.

Yet, at the same time, there are a great many people who pounce on race and ethnicity as the first, last, and greatest gauge of difference in our society, and that race is something that dictates one’s philosophy and world view. This is nothing new. Again, people fail to see beyond each other’s exterior, and be aware of the personality and qualities beneath our varied skin. On both sides of the spectrum — those who decide to disregard race entirely in the name if equality and those who become hung up on race as a characteristic to direct hate and xenophobia — the root of the problem is the willful ignorance regarding each person’s total and holistic background that add together to make them human.

Lack of empathy is the root of many of our problems, and what fuels bigotry, hatred and general misunderstanding along economic, racial, and nationality lines. Again, it is true that differences between racial groups exist, and that socioeconomic trends run parallel to racial trends. However, a person is defined by much more than the legacy of their people. As an example, a white person may not consider themselves privileged or entitled — yet will never fully be able to comprehend how it feels to be a black man in America, constantly surrounded by a stigma of anger and fear. Thus, nervous of the sheer scope of the long festering tensions between racial groups, people try to sweep these inevitable issues under the rug. The answer to true understanding lies not in hiding, however, but in at least attempting to understand where others are coming from. For instance, in government, how can our increasingly diverse representatives fully understand each other’s motives and cooperate unless they do a little deep thinking? I find that minorities are often astounded by the faith that more privileged white citizens have that the legal and judicial systems are true and not corrupt; and that those for whom the system has worked for years are usually perplexed by the bitterness and uneasiness minorities have concerning authority and establishment figures — the type of which have so long disenfranchised minority groups in the past and, in subtler ways, in today’s modern era. And conversely, we must remember that though each of our pasts carries a story often fraught with pain and injustice, we are all also our own individual person, living in the present day. Two kids can have nearly everything in common: they can both be athletic, studious, fans of a type of TV show or movie or sense of humor or even sandwich condiment. Yet, all too often, because they fail to see each other beyond the color of their skin or the style of their dress, people with the potential to be lasting friends often never engage each other, pass each other by, and miss out on a great opportunity to forge a bond. In short, we need to be willing to get to know someone, regardless of his or her race, class, religion or sex. Not merely refrain from judgment, but actually get to know them. Doing so presents golden opportunities on both a societal and personal level.